Simple Habits The Pros Use To Get And Stay Organized

If you feel as I often do – a day late and a dollar short then the simple habits the pros use to get and stay organized is just the article for you. If you feel like you never have enough time keep reading.

Being organized frees up a significant amount of time and this found time is for you to fill doing the things you love to do. This can be as simple as stopping for a tea break, taking a bubble bath, or scaling Mt. Everest.

Keep in mind a decluttered home will take far less time to clean and organize. So if you have too much stuff start by doing a good decluttering in your physical spaces.

A lot of time when your physical spaces are clean and free from and when things are in their proper place your daily like 

Build Simple Daily Habits

An easy way to save time is to get rid of junk mail when you bring your mail into your home and then put the mail you keep where it belongs. Always put important documents in their designated places for both digital and hard copy documents.

We need more than a to-do list to get organized.

The best way to get organized is to start your day with effective morning routines. The good news is you do not have to hire a professional organizer. You know better than anyone what is needed to make your days more efficient and less frustrating.

The big difference between chaotic mornings to efficient mornings is the implementation of building and using good habits. Any professional organizer will tell you this.

Whatever daily morning routines work for you, stick to them. If you are without an effective morning routine make a list of the things that you wish would happen in the morning. Refer to this list until the habit becomes ingrained.

If you wish you could leave the house on time to get to wherever you need to be on time, get up earlier. If you wish you could find your keys put them in the same place every time.

If you wish you would stop forgetting things lay what you need to take with you the night before.

Manageable practices

A simple habit can be not hitting the snooze alarm because little things like this have a big payoff. Those extra minutes when you are trying to fly out the door in the morning will count. 

Another simple habit could be putting your breakfast dishes in the dishwasher or sink or packing lunch the night before. You will enjoy a lot less stress by taking these little steps.

Your day will get off to a better start and with less chaos.  

By getting and staying organized you may avoid backtracking such as driving back to the school with whatever little Johnny forgot.

If you want to stay ahead of the game get in the habit of daily morning tidying up. This way you will come home to a clean kitchen. This is all relatively simple if you set up routines. Pretty soon you will be doing these things without thinking much about them and the pay-off will be huge for you.

Create a Morning Routine

Create a morning routine that works for you like we discussed. Encourage each family member or housemate to do the same. I would feel defeated if I had to come home at the end of a busy day to a dirty kitchen and unmade bed.

End of the Day Routine

By far the most effective strategy for me is to lay out my next day the night before. This makes a huge difference the next morning for the small amount of time it takes. There are different ways to do this.

I simply put the things I need to take with me by my car keys. What this could save you from, for example, is the need to finish a report due in the morning at the last minute as you are trying to get out the door.

Thinking in an organized way and setting up an organizational system is half the battle. The other half is following through.

Small changes like this will make you feel like an organization expert!

Build Weekly Habits

Weekly Cleaning Schedule

Designate specific days for different cleaning tasks, such as vacuuming on Mondays, bathroom cleaning on Wednesdays, and laundry on Saturdays. I use Notion to schedule tasks and I also use the Notion app as a hub for all the things I need during any day for home and my businesses.

If you have a preferred task manager use it. Once you set it up it is very helpful. Yes, there can be a learning curve. The smart apps today know we have the concentration spans of a pea though and make the tutorials pretty easy to follow.

There are many good video tutorials on Youtube too.

Weekly Organization Check

Sort mail, tidy up the closet, and declutter common areas. Create a weekly checklist to ensure nothing gets overlooked.

Build Monthly Habits

Deep Cleaning Routine

Some folks prefer to schedule a monthly deep cleaning session for tasks like changing air filters, steam cleaning carpets, and dusting hard-to-reach areas. Use recurring reminders in your task manager.

Inventory Check

Perform a monthly check of your pantry, fridge, and household supplies. Discard expired items and create a shopping list for needed replacements.

I keep a running list of the things I need to replace so if I am at a store I can glance at this list. This works for bathroom personal things and cleaning supplies.

Declutter Regularly

Whether you choose to declutter your entire house weekly, monthly, or bi-annually is up to you. Maybe you would prefer to declutter one room at a time like the living room one day and the kitchen another day.  I built a whole intensive course around this method that proved to be a manageable and winning strategy. 

Here is a guide to 21 Wicked Easy DeclutteringTips! This list will get you started!

You know best the action plan you can stick to. It all depends on energy levels. The key is to not let clutter build. 

My go-to rule for not letting clutter build up in my home starts at the point of purchase. I think through each item I  am thinking of buying.

• Do I need the item?
• Can I afford to buy this?
• Is there a place to store the thing?
• Is the object good quality or junk that will end up in the landfill?
• What item can I get rid of before I bring in another thing?

If you ask these questions while considering your purchases you will find you are making smarter choices and fewertrips to the landfill.

Donation and Disposal Routine 

Donating to local charities is a win-win for your community.

When folks told me they did not know where to donate what I made an extensive Free Resource Guide list of items and the place to donate to easily and almost always free of charge.

Another idea is to maintain a donation box for clothes, toys, and books you no longer use. Once a month, drop off the donations at a local charity. As I said above check the resource guide and see if you arrange for a free pick up of the goods you wish to donate.

The Pros Say to Automate and Outsource

Use Technology for Convenience

Alexa, Google Home, and Home Assistant are all apps that help you conveniently operate your home.

Sign up for grocery delivery services and set up automatic refills for household essentials like toiletries and cleaning supplies. Automate bill payments and subscriptions to avoid missed deadlines.

Consider going paperless! This cuts down on clutter.

My friend Lindsay Kelly is the Pro when it comes to organizing digital files and folders. Check out Lindsay’s latest tips and tricks for organizing!

Delegate Household Tasks

We talked a bit about delegating household chores. Some of us are good delegators, and some of us could benefit from being better at delegating.

• What do you need help with, clarify?
• Who is best suited to do this task?
• Be clear and concise with your assignment.
• Be firm in your follow-through.
• Praise liberally and let go of the unimportant minutia.

The first step is to assign specific chores for the important tasks to family members or roommates. Don’t worry too much about the little stuff, cover the important things. 

This can be feeding the animals or disposing of stinky garbage, Use a shared task manager or calendar to track responsibilities and ensure everyone contributes to maintaining the home.

By implementing these steps, every single day you can streamline household management, reduce stress, and create a more organized and efficient home environment.

By implementing these suggestions you may just find harmony where chaos used to live.

Marj Bates is a life long ridiculously organized declutter-er and artist. Less is more are words Marj lives by in everything she does except collecting dogs. “Dogs are like potato chips! Can’t have just one.” says Marj. Marj wonders if growing up with a fanatically clean Jewish mom means her decluttering and organizational skills are in her blood.

For more Declutter Buzz & Freebies check out our safe and private Decluttering community on our Facebook page. We are a safe and private space of like minded folks tackling this all encompassing clutter thing once and for all. No shame allowed! We will have a few laughs too!

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